Prior art methods have been employed for some time to interconnect electronic subassemblies, such as printed circuit boards. For example, in connecting electronic components such as loudspeakers and the like to circuit boards within cellular phones, connectors have been used to mate such electronic components to the circuit board.
A primary concern for cellular phones and other relatively small electronic devices is the limited space available to connect boards or subassemblies within the electronic device. Using conventional connectors, conductive electrical metallic alloy contacts are used to flex in a pressing action against other electrical devices, such as a contact pad on a circuit board. This pressing action forms a secure electrical pathway. As the need for smaller connectors has increased, it has become more difficult to provide for a secure electronic connection in a limited amount of space.
Electrical connectors using metallic electrical contacts must provide for a certain minimum beam length in order to facilitate enough flexibility to engage an electrical surface securely. Without a certain minimum or threshold length, the metal used to construct the elongated contacts cannot withstand the stress and pressure of flexibly engaging an electrical contact surface. The miniaturization of connectors, therefore, has made it more difficult to provide for a metallic contact beam of sufficient length and strength to provide a secure connection. In modern connectors, the beam length of the metallic contacts has been minimized such that the total length of the beam approaches the size (or diameter) of the insulative body which itself holds these metallic contacts in place. Thus, it is highly desirable to provide for a minimum beam length for electrical contacts using a smaller total connector body diameter.